Canada-Alberta Job Grant FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The CAJG is an employer-driven training program where employers and government share the cost of training new and existing employees. Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees.

Eligible employers are required to contribute a minimum of one-third of the total training costs. Government contributes two-thirds of the cost to a maximum of $10,000 per trainee. If hiring and training an unemployed Albertan, up to 100% of training costs could be covered, up to $15,000 per trainee. Individual employers will have a cap on the amount of grant funding they can receive annually ($300,000) to ensure that funding will be available for as many Alberta employers as possible.

Despite fluctuations in the economy, employers will always need a workforce that is well-educated, highly skilled and productive. The program helps employers develop workers to suit their needs and provides people with the skills they need to succeed. Investing in skills training means more workers in Alberta will have the skills in demand in our labour market, now and in the future.

The CAJG is available to private and not-for-profit sector employers of all sizes and First Nations and Métis Settlements across the province. The following Crown Corporations are also eligible for the grant if they are an employer in a community with a population of 100,000 or less: Agriculture Financial Services Corporation; and ATB Financial (Alberta Treasury Branches).

To be eligible, Alberta employers must have a current or potential employee who needs training to fill current or future positions. It is expected the individual(s) will be hired upon completion of the training, if they are not currently an employee.

Yes, sole proprietors are eligible for the CAJG when training their employees who are not family members. Sole proprietor applicants are required to submit documentation to demonstrate their business is established and operational in Alberta.

The CAJG is an employer-driven program that places the decisions about required training in the hands of employers. Training providers play an important role working with employers to ensure training options are available to deliver skills that are relevant to the workplace.

Employers are required to use a third-party training provider to deliver the formal training either onsite, online, or in a classroom setting.

Third-party training providers must be separate and distinct from the applicant. The trainer cannot have an employee relationship with the employer, nor can the training provider employ the individual(s) it is training. Employers must attest to this as part of the application process.

Eligible trainees under the CAJG are: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) who are entitled to work in Canada. Trainees must be residents of Alberta.

Temporary residents (foreign workers, international students, visitors etc.) in Canada are not eligible for the grant. Immediate family members of the employer (for example, spouse, common-law partner, adult interdependent partner, child (biological, step, adopted), parent, sibling, etc.), and any member of the employer’s board or council are also not eligible trainees.

When hiring and training existing employees, employers must attest that the training funded by the CAJG to existing employees is ‘incremental’ which means that the training is in addition to the existing training, and would not have otherwise taken place.

To determine if the training requested is ‘incremental’, answer the following questions:

Will this training take place without Canada-Alberta Job Grant funding?

Has this training already been paid for?

Has this training already started?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, the requested training is not defined as ‘incremental’ and therefore it is not eligible for CAJG funding.

When hiring and training unemployed Albertans, any training that leads to the employment of the trainee is eligible under the CAJG. This training does not need to be incremental.

Other required materials (supplies directly relevant to the training course undertaken and are distinct from materials required to run your business)

Eligible travel cost for participant and trainers (outside of Edmonton and Calgary) when training is over 100km one way for small and medium-sized organizations (see applicant guide, Appendix A (PDF) for details)

Employee wages cannot be reimbursed through the CAJG and Income Support is not available for workers who are in training funded through the CAJG.

Employers complete, sign and submit all sections of the Canada-Alberta Job Grant Application

Following the approval of the Application, and after training has been paid for, employers submit a Canada-Alberta Job Grant Reimbursement Form along with applicable receipts. Employers are then reimbursed for one-third of the training costs. When training is short term, or where and employer does not require partial reimbursement before the training is finished, the reimbursement and completion forms may be submitted together at the end of training.

Upon training completion, a Canada-Alberta Job Grant Completion Form will be submitted to the Government of Alberta and an additional one-third of training costs will be reimbursed. The remaining one-third of training costs is paid for by the employer.

Employers will be reimbursed for the government’s contribution, provided the reason for non-completion is beyond the employer’s control. The employer must inform the Government of Alberta by submitting the Canada-Alberta Job Grant Completion Form indicating the trainee did not complete the training and reasons for non-completion. If the training provider refunds the training cost, the government-funded portion must be reimbursed to the Government of Alberta. Employers will not be reimbursed if the trainee does not start the training.

Sometimes an employer may need to send a different trainee to attend training after the CAJG application form has been submitted. Please ensure the substituted trainee meets all eligibility requirements, then contact the Canada Alberta Job Grant processing centre by email at jobgrant@gov.ab.ca for further instructions.

Our changing economy underscores the fact that we must continue to take a proactive approach to developing Alberta’s workforce. The CAJG will allow employers to choose new applicants or existing employees and identify the specific training they require to fill existing and future job vacancies.